Conference to examine current state of Arab media — CDFJ

AMMAN — Hate speech in Arab media, the decline in press freedom  and violations against media personnel in the region will be the focus of a three-day conference slated to open May 9.

Around 150 media personnel, civil society representatives, politicians, parliamentarians, human rights activists and law experts from the Arab world, and other countries are scheduled to participate in the Forum for Media Freedom Defenders in the Arab world, held by the Centre for Defending Freedom of Journalists (CDFJ). 

The event, which is being held with the support of the Norwegian embassy, will focus on the future of electronic media and discuss strategies to integrate media freedoms in the development of societies in the Arab world, CDFJ President Nidal Mansour said in a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times on Wednesday. 

Noting that violations against media personnel in Arab countries have increased significantly, including murder, kidnapping and torture, Mansour added that other key issues also affect them such as difficulty in accessing information, interference by security bodies, self-censorship and the blocking of news websites.

The situation of the press post-Arab Spring will be discussed during the event, in addition to legal frameworks governing media work.

In December 2011, the CDFJ organised the first Forum for Media Freedom Defenders in the Arab World to address the role of media during the Arab Spring.

The second forum was held in May 2013, in conjunction with the International Press Institute’s World Congress.